Warriors After the Dark: A New Dawn
by Wildtalon1138
Summary: A Prophecy is made but will not be fufilled for many generations. The problems of the old clans have long sinced past, yet new troubles will soon arise for Shadowclan.
1. Prologue

**Hi Everyone! This is my first fanfic. Thanks so much for choosing to come here and read it. Hope you like it!**

**- Wildtalon1138**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. However, I do own the characters in this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

His paws padded lightly on the marshy forest floor. Around him the birds sang and he could hear the low croaking of the frogs. Beside him a large gray tom tasted the air.

"I smell another cat," The gray tom said, "but it doesn't smell like any of the clans. What should we do?" the first tom tasted the air and the turned towards a rustling bush behind him. The gray tom turned as well as a skinny tabby tom padded out of the bush and strode towards them. He had bright blue eyes and a spotted brown coat.

The tom spoke," Greetings Smokefire and Lightclaw. I have been waiting for you."

Lightclaw tensed, his pale gray fur bristling. "Who are you and…"

"Yes, yes and how do I know your names. You probably also want to ask why I'm here and so on and so forth." The tabby tom replied. "Well, let me just tell you without all the added questions."

Smokefire narrowed his eyes, wondering what the blue eyed tom could possibly say.

"My name is Red and I was sent her by, what do you cat's call your little ancestors, oh yes, Starclan. Basically, I had a dream and they told me to come and find you two and give you a message."

Lightclaw flicked his tail, "Anyone can say that, and besides, why would Starclan give a loner a message. Why not just give it us directly?"

Red frowned and said, "Because, Lightclaw, I'm part of the message too." At this Smokefire stepped forward.

"What do you mean you're part of the message?"

"I mean this." Red spat. "Three there will be with a betrayer among and kin after kin after kin will come before the damage can be redone.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Snakekit swatted at the clump of fur sitting beside him. It turned around becoming his brother Thrushkit.

"What was that for?" Thrushkit squeaked. Without waiting for an answer, he pounced on Snakekit and they tumbled on the soft nursery ground.

"Kits," their mother Leafhollow said, "you're disturbing Brownkit and Ravenkit. Could you take your game outside?" Snakekit looked to where the two smaller kits were huddled up against their mother's belly. They were Branchfall's first litter and had been born only a moon ago.

"Sure." Replied Thrushkit, scampering out of the thicket with Snakekit on his heels. The marshy grass felt cool on Snakekit's paws as he raced after his brother. He looked around camp. Rufflepelt was leaving for a border patrol with Tickfur, Dappletail, and Eaglepaw. Outside the medicine den, Honeynose was sharing tongues with her sister, Snowflower. Snakekit saw his father, Sparrowflight, talking with Thistlestar and Sharpthorn, one of the senior warriors. They seemed pretty anxious and were whispering. Snakekit turned towards his brother, who was amusing himself with a dead leaf.

"I wonder what they're talking about/" he asked Thrushkit.

"Maybe a Thunderclan cat snuck across the border. They're always causing trouble."

"I don't know," Snakekit replied unsurely, "They seem pretty worried for just one Thunderclan cat.

"Whatever," Thrushkit said nonchalantly," Come on, play with me."

"Forget it! I'm going to see what they're saying. Are you coming?"

Thrushkit reluctantly sat up and nodded. With a flick of his tail Snakekit motioned for his brother to follow. Silently, the two brothers padded closer to the group of cats and hid behind a nearby thorn thicket. They were close enough to catch some of the conversation.

"I'll ask Songheart to lead a patrol to Riverclan to warn Puddlestar." Thistlestar was saying, "Sharpthorn, I want you to take a patrol to Thunderclan and warn Sparkstar. This affects them too."

Snakekit and Thrushkit exchanged looks from their hiding spot.

_What could be happening that Thistlestar deemed it necessary to warn the other clans? Why couldn't it wait till the gathering?"_

Then they heard their father speak," In the meantime what are we going to do? We can't just let Badgers roam free around the territory!"

_Badgers! That's why they seemed so urgent._

"We'll double the patrols and make sure every cat knows not to go near the Marsh Path or the Dew Patch."

"But what about…." Sparrowflight began.

"Training sessions will be moved to the spot of soft undergrowth ear the Tall Pine."

Then the trio continued their exchange in a hushed tone, preventing Snakekit and Thrushkit from eavesdropping any further. They both looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Snakekit. Thrushkit. Come back inside now." The toms heard their mother calling. The kits pricked up their ears and bounded toward the nursery, fuelled by their newfound, and secret, knowledge.

_Badgers in the territory, _Snakekit thought, _they better watch out, because if they come anywhere near here I'll be ready for them!_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Three days had passed since Snakekit had heard about the badgers, yet it was all he could think about. Thistlestar had told the whole clan yesterday and right now, everyone was paranoid. Rufflepelt kept glancing behind him every two seconds and Branchfall had forbid her kits to even step outside their nursery nest.

Suddenly Snakekit felt someone prod his side. Looking over he saw that it was Thrushkit.

"What?" Snakekit asked.

"Want to go outside? Gorsepaw promised he would show me some hunting moves. I bet he'd show you too!" Thrushkit replied enthusiastically.

Snakekit was a little annoyed at first that Thrushkit has interrupted his thinking, but he pushed it aside. Nodding, he raced out of the nursery after his brother. Gorsepaw was by the fresh kill pile plopping down a nice large frog.

"Nice catch, Gorsepaw!" the brother yelled as they bounded over to stand beside the young apprentice.

"Thanks," Gorsepaw replied.

"Could you please, please, please show us those hunting moves now?" Snakekit pleaded.

Gorsepaw complied, crouching down with his tail off the ground.

"Now this," he said, "is the basic hunter's crouch. It's what you'll learn when you first become apprentices." Thrushkit and Snakekit stared at the seven moon old cat in awe. Then,

Gorsepaw sprang up and pounced on a patch of moss nearby.

"See, that's how you hunt prey."

"Gorsepaw, what are you doing?" Gorsepaw's mentor Dawnheart inquired as she padded over. "I thought I sent you to clean out the elder's bedding, not waste your time playing with moss like a kit."

"I-I-I'm sorry Dawnheart," Stammered Gorsepaw, "It's just that, I promised Snakekit and Thrushkit that I'd show them a hunter's crouch."

Dawnheart narrowed her eyes in annoyance, "You duties as an apprentice come before kit-play. Do you understand?" Gorsepaw nodded.

"Besides," Dawnheart added, "Your haunches were too high in your crouch. Bring them lower next time."

"Yes, Dawnheart." Gorsepaw said. Then, he scampered off to the elder's den.

"As for you two," said Dawnheart, turning to Snakekit and his brother, "I suggest you get back to the nursery before your mother begins to worry." At that she turned around and went to lounge next to her mate, Foxscreech.

Snakekit headed to the nursery with Thrushkit close behind him. He didn't know why Dawnheart had judged Gorsepaw so harshly. He was just trying to teach them hunting skills.

_When I'm an apprentice, _Snakekit thought, _I'll be the best one ever! No one will be able to criticize me._

_ Or Thrushkit, _he added as an afterthought. His brother and him stuck together through everything. If he was going to be the best apprentice, and then warrior, so would Thrushkit.

_Imagine…both of us…the greatest Shadowclan warriors…together!_

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait...school can keep one busy. But here it is the next chapter! It's a little bit longer than the others, but not too large.**

**I also wanted to thank my very first reviewer...Mistyflower68. Thanks so much for the great review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

He knew he wasn't an apprentice yet. He knew that he only needed to wait half a moon for his ceremony. He knew that there were badgers in the territory. Yet all Thrushkit wanted to do was go outside the camp.

His paws itched to feel unfamiliar earth and his fur ruffled with the wind he imagined blowing through his pelt as he ran. The only thing holding Thrushkit back was his desire to be a warrior. That, Thrushkit knew, could only come closer if he stayed in camp and waited till his apprenticeship.

_But once I'm and apprentice, _Thrushkit thought, _the other clans better watch out!_

For now, he was stuck in the nursery with his brother. Thrushkit cared for Snakekit as any littermate would, but sometimes he thought his brother was too confusing. Snakekit seemed to want to think about any and everything. Thrushkit couldn't understand it.

"Thrushkit." He heard a voice calling.

"Yea Snakekit?" Thrushkit answered as his brother came padding beside where Thrushkit sat outside the nursery.

"Sparrowflight's back from the border patrol! Come on!" and Snakekit bounded off.

Sure enough, their father was stepping through the camp entrance, his glossy black fur gleaming in the sunlight. Thrushkit raced over to join the other kit, greeting Sparrowflight with a good paw swipe and tackling him to the ground.

"Alright," Sparrowflight mrrowed as he shook the two squirming kits off, "How are you today? Not causing your mother too much trouble I hope."

Thrushkit shook his head. Then he heard a voice behind him.

"Not _too _much trouble. They'll be apprentices soon enough." Thrushkit's mother meowed. She then padded to Sparrowflight, giving him an affectionate luck on the head.

Thrushkit locked eyes with Snakekit and with a knowing look they both scampered off to find something to do. He didn't want to share tongues with his parents when there were more interesting things to do.

Thrushkit headed over to where Fernpaw and her friend Brushpaw were talking near the apprentice den.

"Hey guys!" Thrushkit squeaked.

"Hi Thrushkit. How's that sore paw feeling?" Brushpaw asked. She was Shadowclan's medicine cat apprentice.. The other day she had helped Thrushkit get a small thorn out of his pad after he had stepped in a loose bramble thicket.

"Great." Thrushkit told the pale tabby she-cat. Then he looked to Fernpaw and smiled. She smiled back and Thrushkit felt his ears go warm.

"I better go." He said, slowly backing away, "Snakekit asked me to play a game with him." Then he quickly turned around and made his way to the nursery. The truth was, Snakekit never wanted to play with him; he was resting in the nursery.

_I just had to get out of there. I can't let Fernpaw know I like her. She'd never take me seriously as a kit. _

With a sigh he settled down in the nursery to rest.


End file.
